Add a flow action tool to an AI agent

---
title: Add a flow action tool to an AI agent
description: Add a flow action to an AI agent in AI Agent Studio so the agent can run it as a reusable operation that automates ServiceNow AI Platform features, without writing code.
locale: en-US
canonical_url: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/intelligent-experiences/add-flow-action-new.html
release: australia
topic_type: task
last_updated: "2026-10-16"
reading_time_minutes: 3
breadcrumb: [Add tools and information, Create an AI agent, AI Agent Studio, AI agents and agentic workflows, Enable AI Experiences]
---

# Add a flow action tool to an AI agent

Add a flow action to an AI agent in AI Agent Studio so the agent can run it as a reusable operation that automates ServiceNow AI Platform features, without writing code.

## Before you begin

When an AI agent uses a flow action tool, the user the AI agent is running as must pass the ACL of the flow action. Make sure the AI agent and agentic workflow meet the flow action's security configuration. For more information, see [Security for AI agents](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/intelligent-experiences/implement-aias-security-new.md).

Role required: sn\_aia.admin

## About this task

Flow action tools allow AI agents to execute flow actions as reusable operations. When adding a flow action tool, you can configure its execution mode, output display, and processing messages to ensure the tool works effectively within your AI agent's workflow.

## Procedure

1.  In the Tools section, select **Add tools**, then **Create new tool**, then select **Flow action**.

2.  Select a flow action from the **Select flow action** dropdown.

    The selected flow action description and its inputs are displayed automatically.

    If a flow action's input type is unsupported, the flow action cannot be used by an AI agent. A warning will alert you if this is the case.

3.  Enter a name for the tool in the **Name** field.

4.  Enter a detailed description of the tool in the **Description for this AI agent** field.

    A thorough description helps the AI agent understand what the tool does and when to use it.

5.  Select an execution mode under **Execution mode**.

    Choose **Supervised** to require human oversight when the tool executes, or **Autonomous** to allow the tool to run without human intervention.

6.  Toggle **Display output to users** to control whether the tool's output is shown to users.

7.  If display output is enabled, select an output widget from the **Widget** dropdown.

    Widgets can only be used by assistants built in Premium Chat experiences. Select the widget type that best formats the tool's output for users.

8.  Choose whether to display a refined widget message under **Display refined widget message**.

9.  Expand the **Advanced settings** section to configure output transformation and processing messages.

    1.  Select an output transformation format from the **Output transformation format** dropdown.

        Raw output data usually needs to be transformed into a format that is user-friendly and readable. You can also transform data into smaller formats to reduce the amount of data the AI agent needs to analyze. Transforming data involves tradeoffs between data completeness and latency.

        The available output transformation formats are:

        -   **None**: Output data isn't changed into a different format and users will see raw data.
        -   **Concise**: Output data is changed into the most minimal format for users, with less data for the AI agent to analyze.
        -   **Verbose**: Output data is changed into a summary-like format for users, with slightly less data for the AI agent to analyze.
        -   **Paraphrase**: Output data is changed into a format featuring direct statements for users, with no reduction in data.
        -   **Custom**: Output data is changed into a format you specify \(consider data loss and performance issues\).
    2.  Write processing messages for users under **Write processing messages for users**.

        Describe the action that happens while the tool is running in the **In-progress message** field and the final action when the tool completes in the **Completion message** field. For example, users can see "Executing flow" when the tool is in progress and "Flow execution complete" when the tool is done.


## Result

You have added a flow action tool to your AI agent with the appropriate execution mode, output settings, and processing messages configured.